On Bullying – Words from The Purple Flame By Terry, 10th Dan Grandmaster, Mascot of Voracious Karate

For over a thousand years, I have walked many lands, fought many battles, and trained in the deepest halls of wisdom. I have faced storms of steel and waves of fire — but some of the earliest and sharpest wounds I ever felt came not from claws or blades, but from words.

As a cub in the Kingdom of Roarwind, my purple fur made me different. The others saw this not as beauty, but as weakness. They jeered. They struck. They whispered when I passed. I tell you now, young warrior, those whispers can cut deeper than any sword… if you let them.

Through centuries of training under Master Hanzo, I learned this truth: the cruelty of others is not a reflection of your worth — it is a mirror of their own fear, ignorance, and weakness. They mock what they do not understand. They strike at what they secretly envy.

When I left my clan, I did not run away from my bullies — I walked toward my destiny. I found the Whispering Mountains, where the winds do not ask what colour your fur is, and the stones do not care who laughs at you. In silence and discipline, I forged my body into steel and my spirit into fire.

This is the lesson I pass to you:

• Your value is not given by others; it is forged within yourself.

• Strength is not just the ability to strike — it is the ability to stand.

• Difference is not a curse — it is the mark of a unique path.

If you are bullied, remember this: I was once told I would never fight, never lead, never matter. Yet here I stand — a Grandmaster, protector of realms, and the Purple Flame. Not despite my difference… but because of it.

Endure. Rise. Become unshakable.

For one day, the voices that tried to break you will be nothing but echoes in the mountains you have conquered.